


Tale as Old as Time

by HalliwellinWonderland



Category: Pitch (TV 2016)
Genre: F/M, I'm Sorry, I'm really on the Mike and Ginny Ship, My First AO3 Post, Please Don't Hate Me, This just kinda happned
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-16
Updated: 2017-01-28
Packaged: 2018-09-18 01:10:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,612
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9357788
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HalliwellinWonderland/pseuds/HalliwellinWonderland
Summary: After a year of scraping and fighting to get a byline and to be taken seriously as a sports journalist the absolute last thing she was going to do was put that in danger by dating an athlete.And then Mike fucking Lawson happened.-Also known as the history of Mike and Rachel-





	1. Tale as Old as Time

**Author's Note:**

> OK. Don’t hate me. I am full on the Mike and Ginny ship, but after marathon watching last week I decided I needed to know why Mike and Rachel were together in the first place, why they got married and why she cheated. So this happened, and I couldn’t stop it. Also this is my first time writing in like 6 years. Damn Pitch fandom brought me back in.

Rachel never would've guessed that after four years of college, two of grad school and one on the road as a rookie journalist she would be falling for a baseball player. She guessed wrong though.

She grew up in a house with a mother who was a lawyer, a father who was a history teacher and football coach at the local high school. She had two younger siblings, both boys and spent most of her time with her Dad and brothers, her mom usually gone before school and back after bedtime. But Saturday’s were filled with shopping trips, manicures and riding around with her Mom. She quickly learned to love lipstick as much as she loved a good game. All through school she bounced around different sports, an ok athlete, she never absolutely loved playing. When she was a freshman in high school she wrote her first article for the school paper; an in depth look at the football roster.. Just like that she found her first love. She couldn’t believe how much she enjoyed trying to get the best stories out of athletes, going deeper than just their stats and finding out the real reason they were playing, past the “love of the game” bullshit. All through high school and college she was known as, “the redhead sports reporter”, she didn’t care though, at least she was memorable. College and grad school were a whirlwind, she made the Dean's list every year, joined a sorority, served on student government, and somehow her dating life never suffered. Guys loved her, her brain, her knowledge of sports, and yes her sex appeal. She knew how to get what she wanted and wasn’t afraid to ask. She had a radar for when a guy was interested, especially athletes, and she got really good at humoring the jocks enough to get a story, then dating the architecture, pre-med, or engineering students. She was always in control of the situation, tending to fall for the goofy, nerdy guy over the ‘hulk-smash’ guy.  
And then she met Mike.

 

After a year of scrapping and fighting to get a byline and to be taken seriously as a sports journalist the absolute last thing she was going to do was put that in danger by dating an athlete.  
And then Mike fucking Lawson happened.

 

She knew she was in trouble the minute she sat down with the three rookie players for the San Diego Padres and asked them about where their support came from.  
And then that damn Mike Lawson and his damn sob story.

 

Listening to this clean shaven, admittedly beautiful 24 year old man mumbling about a single mother, who he wasn’t in really in touch with anymore, listening to him play it off and talk about how good it felt to be part of the team with such a great family dynamic, listening to this man reaching for some other support system… Something in her chest felt tight.

 

So in retrospect that would be when Rachel would have told you she was fucked. While that or when he caught up to her in the parking lot an hour later…

 

“Hey Red” She heard from somewhere behind her.

 

It was still light out, the Arizona sun beating down on her, and after a long day at the park she was just trying to get home and take a cold shower.

That’s why she rolled her eyes to herself and kept walking…

“Red”

She heard a second time, wondering if he would give up if she made it to her car. After thinking through the 45 minute interview they had she realized Mike Lawson wasn’t a quitter so she was going to have to do something,

“Yeah I don’t respond to condescending nicknames from first year players with something to prove.”

Mike smirked, “Well it got you to turn around didn’t it?”

This. This was why she didn’t date athletes, even when you think they are sweet, shy and goofy the underlying cocky, competitiveness always comes out. With that she turned on her heel to leave,  
“Wait ... Wait I’m sorry, Rachel.” He said following her as she continued to walk towards her car.

“Way to go Rookie, you learned how to use a woman’s name. Impressive.” She said pulling out her keys and keeping her tone flat.

“Well I’d like to learn more than that…”

She shot him a sharp glance

“Wait … Shit that came out wrong…” They had reached her car, for some reason she turned around to look at him,

“What I meant to say is I saw you report on Ed Davis and I thought it was really impressive. Shit. The fact that you actually got him to answer questions about himself instead of his stats…. Anyway I just wanted to meet you outside of the interview... And damn am I’m fucking that up. Right, so I think you’re a great reporter, and you’re questions are… I mean you’re writing is great. Sorry that came out stupid. Shit. Any way you’ll let me start over?”

Rachel stared at him with a dumbfounded look on her face, how did this guy go from chauvinist pig to bumbling mess in 1.1 seconds? It was the same in the interview, one moment humble- bragging about his stats from the minors (not that humbly), then stuttering about why he chose to finish his business degree in night school. Maybe that’s what made her brain disconnect and say, “Ok, try again.”

Mike looked up from scratching his neck, took a deep breath and smiled, “Hey, thanks for the interview. I think you’re a great reporter and I’m a huge fan.”

Rachel couldn’t stop herself from smiling, “Thanks Mike, but I should get going.” She turned and opened her door,

“Wait… I mean you don’t have to wait, I was just gonna ask if I could buy you a cup of coffee sometime? Or dinner?” He spit out, Rachel stood half in and half out of her car, she slid in the rest of the way but kept the door open “Sorry Mike, I try not to date guys I’m reporting on. Conflict of interest and all that.”

“Oh yeah sure I get that.” Mike said nodding and backing away from her car, “Well anyways it was nice to officially meet you, Rachel” He said gently emphasizing her name.  
Rachel’s not sure if it was the way he said her name, the messy apology, or him accepting her “no” so easily that compelled her roll down her window but before she knew it she was rolling down her window and shouting, “Mike.”

He turned around, shifting his bag on his shoulder.

“You have an off day tomorrow right? Maybe we could do a follow up over lunch?”

He smiled closing the distance between him and her, she leaned into her passenger's seat to grab a card from her purse and scribbled something on the back,

“12:30 ok with you?” She said passing the card with an address of a restaurant to him.

“12:30 sounds perfect.”


	2. True as it can be

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I thought so too, but that damn article, about damn Mike Lawson, made my damn bosses want a follow up.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I finished the second chapter faster than I thought I would... Here it goes....

Spring Training was over and Rachel was back in California in her brand new Los Angeles apartment, throwing things out of boxes, just to turn around and pack them in a suitcase like a maniac. Katie, her roommate, leaned in her doorway sipping her cup of coffee, “But I thought you were getting assigned the Dodgers…”

Rachel huffed, “I thought so too, but that damn article, about damn Mike Lawson, made my damn bosses want a follow up.”

Katie laughed, “Oh he’s 'Damn Mike Lawson' now is he?”

Rachel shot her a don’t go there look.

“I’m just saying. Last week he was 'different than the others Mike Lawson'. Or 'incredibly good looking Mike Lawson'. Or... “

“I get it.” Rachel said cutting her off, not wanting a reply of her lack of better judgement in Arizona. “Katie he’s a player. That’s all he can be to me. Just another ball player.”

Katie rolled her eyes, “Ok Rach. Whatever you say. So when will you be back? Do we need to push the housewarming?”

“No, I just have to be there through his start on Thursday, so I’ll be back early Friday.”

“Ok, well have a good trip, and tell 'damn Mike Lawson' he has a nice ass for me” Katie said turning, dodging a shoe being thrown at her, “What?! He’s not just “a ball player to me.” she muttered chuckling and walking to her room.

 

Rachel for the first time in her career was nervous. So what, that ‘follow up lunch’ had turned into two lunches, a dinner, and coffee. He was an interesting person. Although not all of those conversations had made it into her byline, it was still research. She was stuck in Arizona with nothing to do for god sake. She was bored. That’s the only plausible reason she had for quasi starting to see a baseball player. Lord what would her Father think?

“Baseball is for lazy, failed football players, and elementary school children.” He had told her when she announced her first assignment was the MLB.

But anyway none of that matters. It’s been a week, and she was sure Rookie Mike Lawson had long forgotten her. Plus she wasn’t even that interested in him. Sure he made her laugh. His charm and devotion to baseball were attractive, but who actually wants to date a professional athlete. So he was polite and smart. So what? It’s not important now. She has a job to do.

At least that’s what she told herself the three hours in her car on the way to San Diego.

 

The first thing she noticed when she was let into the clubhouse was Mike’s easy smile. Like he belonged here and he knew it. When he caught her staring he smiled and waved, finished buttoning his uniform and made his way over to her.

“Rachel Patrick, we meet again.”

She cleared her throat and held out her hand to shake, “Mike, congratulations, good to see you again.”

He looked a little confused, held on to her hand a fraction too long and let go, “I think they said we could use the press room, pre game conference starts in an hour that enough time for you to learn all my deep dark secrets?” He said recovering, busting out his charm.

Rachel had to stop herself from rolling her eyes and flirting back, “Great. Let’s go.” She turned and he followed still confused at her coldness.

They settled in and made it through her interview with minimal flirting, Rachel was thankful for questions to focus on, and for his attention to be pointed to his first start. She almost thought she had gotten away with it. Almost.

“Ok great, I know you have a press conference and warm ups so I’ll get out of your hair. Good luck Mike.” She said folding her notebook and standing up.

“Rach…” He said following her movements, “I was thinking we could grab dinner tonight…”

Damn. Almost. “Mike, you should focus…”

“On trying to get you to go to dinner with me” He said, pulling his mouth up into a smile, “Yeah that’s what I’m trying to do.”

“I appreciate the offer….”

Of course at that moment five other journalist make their way into the press room. Rachel is simultaneously relieved and disappointed to have an excuse to get out the conversation.

“Anyway good luck Mike, keep your chin straight.” It slips out of her mouth without her thinking about it and he shoots her the most adorably confused face. Shit. Now she has to prolong this conversation. “It was something my dad use to say to me before games, chin down means you're losing, chin up means you being cocky and going to lose, chin straight means you're determined to win. Just another way to say good luck.”

He smiles, bumps his chin with his fist and said, “Will do” She turns quickly to take a seat with the other journalist and he finally retreats to the clubhouse. She really needed to work on the foot-in-mouth thing around him.

 

The press conference went without incident, and she made her way from the room to her seat in the press box. Mike was having an impressive first start and she would’ve have been fine, except for when he made his first homer in the 6th inning and she could’ve sworn that as he came around the home plate he glanced up at the press box and subtle bumped his chin with his fist. Damn Mike Lawson.

The rest of the game seemed to fly by in a constant state of distress for her. When he wasn’t playing she wished he was, and when he was she hoped he would do bad but not bad enough to lose stats, just bad enough where he wouldn’t do that chin thing again and make her stupid heart flutter.

The real trouble came as she was walking to her car in the parking garage, hours after the post game conference. She told herself she had stuck around to get her notes typed up because the minute she got to her hotel room she was going to crash. Which was partially true.

“Patrick...”

She wonders if parking areas were going to become a thing for them. Then immediately shakes that idea from her head. Nothing is going to become ‘a thing’ for them because they’re not going to become ‘a thing’.

“I don’t think Patrick is any better than Red for the record, Lawson.”

He chuckles as he reaches her spot.

“It’s that whole first name as a last name thing… Makes it weird.”  
They stand awkwardly quiet for a second then,

“Look Mike…”

“You hungry?”

They both start, and stop. He laughs, “That sounds like a ‘no’”

She glances at her feet for a second, “Look, I’m just wiped and you should go out with the guys. You don’t want to be that guy after your first game, hanging around with a journalist instead of his teammates.”

He nods, and there’s something in the way he’s looking at her that makes her think that he understands it’s not so much about him being one of those guys, as it is about her being one of those journalist.

He smiles and shakes his head a little, “Uh, can I give you my number? In case you ever decide you’d be interested in that dinner?”

She nods staying unusually quiet for her. She hand over the her notebook and pen, and he jots his number down.

“Well, I guess I’ll see you around Rachel Patrick.” He says passing her things back.

Something in her brain snaps. She’s sure she’s gone insane. Because somehow her mouth opens and, “I am having a dinner party at my apartment tomorrow. I know you might be busy since it’s your day off… It’s just some old friends for a housewarming... in L.A…. You interested?”

Foot.In.Mouth.

She has to figure out how to shut up around him.

But then he smiles, “Yeah, I’d love that. What time?”

Shit. There’s no going back now, she thinks. “7:00, but you can get there early if you want to try avoid sitting in traffic. Maybe 4?”  
She could’ve just said seven. She could’ve shut up. Then she realizes that maybe around him she can’t.

“Perfect. See you tomorrow.” He said clearly leaving quickly so she couldn’t take it back, leaving her to ponder what the fuck happened to her self control.


	3. Barely Even Friends

“So he’s coming to dinner three hours early?” Katie said smirking in their kitchen, putting in another batch of something that smelled like heaven.

“Yeah, well he lives three hours away…”

Katie leans on their counter and tilts her head, “Is he spending the night?”

Rachel stands up straight at this, “Katie. Be serious.”

“I am! Rachel, you invite this guy over, THREE hours early for our very small housewarming. What do you want me to think.”

“I want you to think that I’m smarter than that.” Rachel turned moving toward the couch, practically collapsing on it, “Because I need to think that I’m smarter than that. Ughhhhhhhh. What am I doing.” She said putting her head in her hands.

“There it is…” Katie said, which makes Rachel turn and look at her, “I was wondering when the Catholic guilt, and oldest child superiority complex would kick in. Glad to know you’re still my neurotic best friend.”

“You're the worst, you know that?” Rachel said flopping back on the couch.

“Nah. Pretty sure I’m the best. Look this isn’t a big deal. He’ll come, we’ll flirt, he meets our friends, and then he leaves. And you go back to kicking asses and taking names.”

Rachel just runs her hands over her face and mumbles, “Maybe he won’t show up.” She pops a pillow behind her head and ," _We’ll _flirt?"__

"What? He's a professional ball player Rach. I'm an accountant. _I_ can flirt all _I_ want."

 

She didn’t get that lucky, but he didn’t show up until 5:30 due to some bad traffic. By that time they were in full swing trying to get the food and drinks ready for guests.

“Give me a job.” Mike says looking at Katie, she instantly puts him to work mixing Sangria, and various punches.

The party flew by and Mike fit right in. Rachel tried not to dwell on the fact that he seemed to be a part of their group instantly, whereas her other boyfriends struggled to connect with her friends. And by the end of the night Mike had made all of her friends fall in love with him, full on head-over-heels in love. The guys, the girls, it didn’t matter all of them were goo goo eyed. She was having a hard time admitting she agreed with them. Mike fucking Lawson.

Then he had to go ahead and stick around after everyone had left to help with the dishes.

“You really don’t have to do this.” She said grabbing a stack of cups from him.

“I don’t mind, any chance to get to spend some more time with you. God that was cheesy. Sorry”

Rachel let out a chuckle while she pointed him towards the towels, “I’ll wash you dry. You know for a Rookie who had a great start, you sure don't seem that sure of yourself out of the park.”

Mike winced, “Yeah… I’m fine on the field, it’s the minute you take me off I become a disaster.”

“Something to do with the instability of your childhood?” She questioned, slipping into reporter mode automatically. He looked over to her trying not to drop the plate he was currently drying,

“You asking as 'journalist Rachel' or 'girl who I am doing dishes with Rachel'.” He said.

Her head snapped up, realizing just how brash that question might of come off in this situation, “See this is why we can’t date. I’m never not ‘journalist Rachel’. At least with athletes. And while I’m trying to get my feet on the ground in sports.” She said sighing.

“You know I haven’t ever technically asked you to date me.”

She huffed, “Like I didn’t know where you were heading? And you still haven’t technically answered my question.”

Mike let out a full laugh shaking his head, “Man. You're like a dog on a trail. Ok reporter, Off the record: yeah I’m sure not having a stable family life makes my dating skills a little rough outside the field. Bad relationship models and all that. You done with the third degree?”

Rachel passed him the last plate to dry and leaned back on the counter, “Maybe why?”

Mike finished drying the plate and stood a little closer to her, “Because I’m gonna tell you why I think we can date. I know your career is important and being a women in this field is hard, I know I don’t want to jeopardize that, or my first season in the Majors. I also know we click in a way I don’t with many people, and I’d like to take you out to dinner somewhere where cameras won't care that two people are getting to know each other. I also know that it’s not fair that you know so much about me and I know so little about you but I think the aforementioned dinner would help equal that out. What do you think?”

“I think you're pretty good at speeches Mike Lawson.” She said unfolding her arms and leaning into him putting her hands on his chest. Somewhere in the other room she hears Katie cough gently. “But…” She says slightly pushing him away, creating some distance,

“But?” He says, refusing to move any farther.

“But I’m in LA, starting a career, you’re in San Diego, starting a career. We're both young. We have time. We’ll see each other around. I need to be able to focus on work and so do you. This would end in disaster if we tried to date now.”

Mike nods contemplating as he steps back, “Well we wouldn’t want that. Now would we?”

“No we wouldn’t.” Rachel says as she folds her arms back across her chest and shrugs.

“Ok. Goodnight then, Rachel Patrick.” He walks around to pick up his brand new leather jacket, she follows him to the door. He turns around and just as she thinks he’s going to say something else he leans in to place a kiss on her cheek. Then turns around and leaves.

She closes the door behind him and leans against it sighing. “Damn. Mike. Lawson.”

**Author's Note:**

> I have some Mike and Ginny stuff that I want to write/ am still working on so hopefully those will redeem me in the ship. But let me know what you think... I have a multi chapter planned for this but if everyone hates it I might leave it alone ;)


End file.
